What to Look for in a Classroom
An earlier version of this chart was published in the September 1996 issue of Educational Leadership, and reprinted as the title essay in the anthology What to Look for in a Classroom...And Other Essays.
This revised version appeared as Appendix B of The Schools Our Children Deserve.
| GOOD SIGNS | POSSIBLE REASONS TO WORRY | |
|---|---|---|
|
FURNITURE |
Chairs around tables to facilitate interaction Comfortable areas for learning, including multiple "activity centers" Open space for gathering |
Chairs all facing forward or (even worse) desks in rows |
|
ON THE WALLS |
Covered with students' projects Evidence of student collaboration Signs, exhibits, or lists obviously created by students rather than by the teacher Information about, and personal mementos of, the people who spend time together in this classroom |
Nothing Commercial posters Students' assignments displayed, but they are (a) suspiciously flawless, (b) only from "the best" students, or (c) virtually all alike List of rules created by an adult and/or list of punitive consequences for misbehavior Sticker (or star) chart -- or other evidence that students are rewarded or ranked |
| STUDENTS' FACES | Eager, engaged | Blank, bored |
| SOUNDS | Frequent hum of activity and ideas being exchanged | Frequent periods of silence
The teacher's voice is the loudest or most often heard |
| LOCATION OF TEACHER | Typically working with students so it takes a few seconds to find her | Typically front and center |
| TEACHER'S VOICE | Respectful, genuine, warm | Controlling and imperious
Condescending and saccharine-sweet |
| STUDENTS' REACTION TO VISITOR | Welcoming; eager to explain or demonstrate what they're doing or to use visitor as a resource | Either unresponsive or hoping to be distracted from what they're doing |
| CLASS DISCUSSION | Students often address one another directly
Emphasis on thoughtful exploration of complicated issues Students ask questions at least as often the teacher does |
All exchanges involve (or are directed by) the teacher; students wait to be called on
Emphasis on facts and right answers Students race to be first to answer teacher's "Who can tell me...?" queries |
| STUFF | Room overflowing with good books, art supplies, animals and plants, science apparatus; "sense of purposeful clutter" | Textbooks, worksheets, and other packaged instructional materials predominate; sense of enforced orderliness |
| TASKS | Different activities often take place simultaneously
Activities frequently completed by pairs or groups of students |
All students usually doing the same thing When students aren't listening to the teacher, they're working alone |
| AROUND THE SCHOOL | Appealing atmosphere: a place where people would want to spend time
Students' projects fill the hallways Library well-stocked and comfortable Bathrooms in good condition Faculty lounge warm and inviting Office staff welcoming toward visitors and students Students helping in lunchroom, library, and with other school functions |
Stark, institutional feel
Awards, trophies, and prizes displayed, suggesting an emphasis on triumph rather than community |
Copyright © 1996 by Alfie Kohn. This article may be downloaded, reproduced, and distributed without permission as long as each copy includes this notice along with citation information (i.e., name of the periodical in which it originally appeared, date of publication, and author's name). Permission must be obtained in order to reprint this article in a published work or in order to offer it for sale in any form. Please write to the address indicated on the Contact Us page.
Copyright ©1996. Reprinted from "Educational Leadership" with the author's permission. For more information, please see www.alfiekohn.org
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